Nordfriesland

Today was the last day of my getaway and I think I might have been okay if I had returned home today.

I didn’t ride very far at all. I visited the small town of Brunsbüttel, where the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal reaches the Elbe. Then I went to Friedrichskoog, to take another look at the North Sea, though I only really got to check out the Wadden Sea again. The tide was out and here it means it is very far out.

Indeed, people have been known to get stuck in the Wadden Sea after they’d gone too far out and didn’t manage to return before the tide returned. If that happens to you and you’re lucky, the coast guard will find you and bring you back. If you are unlucky, you can die out there.

I didn’t venture out into the Wadden Sea, mostly because it would have been inconvenient to pull up my biker pants and carry my boots along with my helmet and jacket as well. It also wouldn’t have been a lot of fun to trudge with so much stuff out there.

Still, the views were impressive, and the weather played along nicely today. Not much wind and intermittent sun and clouds.

I was only out for a few hours, however, and I’m ready to go home.

Of course, I could continue to travel forever, but work is calling me back and I must admit, so is my bed. I just don’t sleep the same when I’m travelling.

I enjoyed my getaway. I did a lot of riding, and the weather was good for the most part. I am likely going to have the opportunity to get away for weekend here or there during the next two months. But it does depend on the weather and my funds.

My bike is due for its yearly inspection next month as well, which will cost again.

Now the only question is, where to next?

I haven’t been in this part of Germany before – Nordfriesland. I decided to visit Husum, St. Peter-Ording and Büsum.

Out of the three, Husum is furthest north. I visited there first. The area of Nordfriesland stretches much further up north, mind you. Husum isn’t even halfway. But since I only wanted to go so far, I stuck with these three places.

Of course, arriving in Husum, it started raining almost immediately. It wasn’t as windy as it was the day before, which was a relief, but I didn’t relish the rain either. It was still better than being caught out on the road.

I used the time to wander around the town centre, got another Covid-19 test, and had more of a break than I would ordinarily have had. But by the time I left for my next destination, the weather had cleared up and there was no more rain for the remainder of the day.

St. Peter-Ording is probably lovely when the weather is playing along. When it is grey, it’s not particularly spectacular. It is a popular holiday destination, however, which meant a lot of tourists were roaming around.

I don’t enjoy places that are overly touristy, which is why I only stayed for a snack before travelling on. Plus, the famous beach was so far out that I didn’t feel like undertaking the journey, especially since you also require a guest pass, which I didn’t have.

My next and final destination was Büsum, which is at the southern border of Nordfriesland. Riding there was pretty awesome. Some roads I took were ridiculously straight and flat as far as you could see. The roads went through many different fields, and I was mostly by myself, which is always the most enjoyable part.

The difference between the east and the west of Schleswig-Holstein is staggering. Towards the east, you’ll find lots of sloping hills, bendy roads and forests as well as fields. But in the west you only have fields, wind farms and everything is completely flat. It is surprising that roads bend at all here.

It’s difficult to say which one I prefer, as both hold a very different appeal. And I enjoy riding on this side just as much as I did on the other side.

In any case, I enjoyed my stay in Büsum, which is also quite touristy, but I’m glad I picked a hotel away from all those tourist places. I do wish the weather had been more pleasant as the views would have been quite magnificent.

The ride was nevertheless wonderful. It makes such a difference when it is not so windy.

Story of My Life

Final Day of my Summer Getaway

Day 5 – Visiting the North Sea